TIBULLUS 2.1
Lustration
Quisquis adest, faueat: fruges lustramus et agros, ritus ut a prisco traditus extat auo. Invitation to Ceres Bacche, ueni, dulcisque tuis e cornibus uua pendeat, et spicis tempora cinge, Ceres. Agricultural Cessation from Labor luce sacra requiescat humus, requiescat arator, 5 et graue suspenso uomere cesset opus. soluite uincla iugis: nunc ad praesepia debent plena coronato stare boues capite. Domestic Cessation from Labor omnia sint operata deo: non audeat ulla lanificam pensis imposuisse manum. 10 Sexual Abstinance uos quoque abesse procul iubeo, discedat ab aris, cui tulit hesterna gaudia nocte Venus. casta placent superis: pura cum ueste uenite et manibus puris sumite fontis aquam. Sacrifice of a Lamb cernite, fulgentes ut eat sacer agnus ad aras 15 uinctaque post olea candida turba comas. Averting Crop Issues and Wolves di patrii, purgarnus agros, purgamus agrestes: uos mala de nostris pellite limitibus, neu seges eludat messem fallacibus herbis, neu timeat celeres tardior agna lupos. 20 Fires tunc nitidus plenis confisus rusticus agris ingeret ardenti grandia ligna foco, Twig Houses turbaque uernarum, saturi bona signa coloni, ludet et ex uirgis extruet ante casas. euentura precor: uiden ut felicibus extis 25 significet placidos nuntia fibra deos? Drunken Revels nunc mihi fumosos ueteris proferte Falernos consulis et Chio soluite uincla cado. uina diem celebrent: non festa luce madere est rubor, errantes et male ferre pedes. 30 Toast to Messalla sed 'bene Messallam' sua quisque ad pocula dicat, nomen et absentis singula uerba sonent. gentis Aquitanae celeber Messalla triumphis et magna intonsis gloria uictor auis, huc ades aspiraque mihi, dum carmine nostro 35 redditur agricolis gratia caelitibus. Praise of the Rustic Life rura cano rurisque deos. his uita magistris desueuit querna pellere glande famem: illi compositis primum docuere tigillis exiguam uiridi fronde operire domum: 40 illi etiam tauros primi docuisse feruntur seruitium et plaustro supposuisse rotam. tum uictus abiere feri, tum consita pomus, tum bibit inriguas fertilis hortus aquas, aurea tum pressos pedibus dedit uua liquors 45 mixtaque securo est sobria lympha mero. rura ferunt messes, calidi cum sideris aestu deponit flauas annua terra comas. rure leuis uerno flores apis ingerit alueo, compleat ut dulci sedula melle fauos. 50 agricola adsiduo primum satiatus aratro cantauit certo rustica uerba pede et satur arenti primum est modulatus auena carmen, ut ornatos diceret ante deos, agricola et minio suffusus, Bacche, rubenti 55 primus inexperta duxit ab arte choros. huic datus a pleno memorabile munus ouili dux pecoris curtas auxerat hircus opes. rure puer uerno primum de flore coronam fecit et antiquis imposuit Laribus. 60 rure etiam teneris curam exhibitura puellis molle gerit tergo lucida uellus ouis. hinc et femineus labor est, hinc pensa colusque, fusus et adposito pollice uersat opus: atque aliqua adsiduae textrix operata mineruae 65 cantat, et a pulso tela sonat latere. Birth of Cupid, His Role in Rustic Life ipse quoque inter agros interque armenta Cupido natus et indomitas dicitur inter equas. illic indocto primum se exercuit arcu: ei mihi, quam doctas nunc habet ille manus! 70 nec pecudes, uelut ante, petit: fixisse puellas gestit et audaces perdomuisse uiros. hic iuueni detraxit opes, hic dicere iussit limen ad iratae uerba pudenda senem: hoc duce custodes furtim transgressa iacentes 75 ad iuuenem tenebris sola puella uenit et pedibus praetemptat iter suspensa timore, explorat caecas cui manus ante uias. a miseri, quos hic grauiter deus urget! at ille felix, cui placidus leniter adflat Amor. 80 Invitation to Cupid sancte, ueni dapibus festis, sed pone sagittas et procul ardentes hinc precor abde faces. uos celebrem cantate deum pecorique uocate uoce: palam pecori, clam sibi quisque uocet. aut etiam sibi quisque palam: nam rurba iocosa 85 obstrepit et Phrygio tibia curua sono. Nightfall ludite: iam Nox iungit equos, currumque sequuntur matris lasciuo sidera fulua choro, postque uenit tacitus furuis circumdatus alis Somnus et incerto Somnia nigra pede. 90 |
Whoever is present, let him observe the ritual: let us purify the fruits and the fields as a rite having been passed on from an ancient grandfather stands. As C. Bennett Pascal notes, "Tibullus opens the second book...with the description of some sort of rural lustration." Oh Bacchus, come, and let the sweet grapes from your loins and Oh Ceres gird your temples with spikes of wheat. Here, Tibullus introduces the two deities associated with this kind of rural festival; he calls for both Bacchus and Ceres to be present at the festivities. Let the ground rest in sacred light, let the farmer rest and the heavy work of the suspended plough cease. Loosen the chains from the yokes now the bulls ought to stand near the full stables with crowns on their heads Tibullus notes here that during festival times, Romans should entirely set down their work, and focus on enjoying themselves instead. In this particular section, he addresses the farmers. This tradition is upheld in various other Roman festivals as well, not just Ambarvalia. Let all thing rely on the god, let no woman's hand dare to work In this section, Tibullus addresses domestic labor, suggesting that all work, not just agricultural should be abandoned for the purpose of this holy day. You also I command be far away, leave the altar you whom Venus gave pleasure yesterday night purity pleases the Gods. Come with pure robes and draw from the fountain water with pure hands. Tibullus encourages those who are not chaste to stay far from the altar, as the gods tend to prefer purity, and anything that they can do to please the gods should be done, to increase their chances of having a good farming season. Look, how the sacred lamb goes to the shining alters and the bright crowd bound up as to their hair with oil behind. Tibullus is fascinated with hair. Oh fathers, let us cleanse the fields, let us cleanse the farmers: you repel bad things from our borders and don't let crops trick the harvest with deceitful grasses nor let the rather slow lamb fear the quick wolves. Here, Tibullus describes the peoples' requests from the gods in response to the animals they slaughtered. They merely want protection from wolves and weeds. Then the shining rustic farmer trusting in his full fields will put big planks on the burning fire We assume that the farmers are building these large bonfires for the purpose of sacrifice. and the crowd of spring, a good sign for a fat farmer will play and build houses with sticks in front I pray for things to come: see how the foretelling entrails signifying calm gods with their lucky guts? The purpose of the twig houses has never become completely clear. They may be set pieces for a performance, or they may also be a metaphor for something else, but it is not know exactly what. Now bring forth the smoky Falernian wine of an old consul and loosen the chains from the Chian barrel let wines honor the day: it is not shameful to be wet on a festive day and to bring wandering feet badly Essentially ancient product placement. Tibullus calls for two very specific types of wine to drink. Also, he emphasizes that there is nothing wrong with being drunk on a holiday. but "Good to Messala," and the name of the absent one will sound alone in all words. Messalla, celebrated for your victories over the Aqualarian people Great victory, great glory of unshaven ancestors. Come to me, favor me, while I give thanks With my poems to the heavenly farmers. "An ingenious and tempting way to account for its place in the poem has been to see in it the poet's way of congratulating his benefactor's elevation to the Arval Brotherhood. However, even if we were to abandon our earlier assertion that the Arvals had nothing to do with the so-called Ambarvalia in particular, or rustic lustrations in general, so subtle an allusion seems hardly to be in this poet's usual manner...Here, then, is a good example of staging a rural lustration in order to honor a human benefactor." (81-86) Oh God, come to the festive feast , but put aside your arrows and put aside your burning torches far from here you sing the celebrated God and call to the flock with your voice: let each man call openly for each clan and also for himself or even each man for himself: for the happy crowd makes noise and plays the curved flute with a Trojan sound. (87-90) Play, now night joins its horses and the golden stars follow the chariot of their mother with a playful chorus and afterward silent sleep comes surrounded by black wings and black dreams come with an uncertain foot. |